Assault pointed to as motive in McSherrystown home invasion

Mount Pleasant Twp. man fired shot during McSherrystown break-in.

Jeremy Ian Streeb, 25, appeared Monday in Adams County court and pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the Nov. 7 break-in in the 600 block of North Street.

The man who fired a shot during a November break-in at a McSherrystown home likely armed himself because he was planning to assault someone, the lawyer prosecuting the case said this week.

Jeremy Ian Streeb, 25, appeared Monday in Adams County court and pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the Nov. 7 break-in in the 600 block of North Street, as well as charges from two other burglaries.

Before Streeb entered his pleas, Adams County Judge Michael A. George warned him that his agreement with prosecutors exposes him to a maximum penalty of 72 years in jail and $95,000 in fines.

And because negotiations on a sentence were not part of Streeb's plea deal, the severity of his sentence would be left up to a judge, George said.

Still, Streeb, followed through with his plans, pleading guilty to three counts of burglary, and one count each of possessing instruments of a crime and illegally carrying a firearm.

He is scheduled to be sentenced in March for the pleas.

The charges to which Streeb pleaded stem from two separate cases.

Streeb, who formerly lived in Trailer 18 at 2160 Hanover Road, was arrested Nov. 7 after he broke into a home in the 600 block of North Street in McSherrystown. The home was occupied at the time Streeb entered it, police said. And when one of its residents - Katherine Chambers - unknowingly walked into the room Streeb was in, Streeb was standing there with .22-caliber revolver pointed at her.

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Chambers grabbed Streeb by the arm and took him to the ground, and her husband came to her aid, court documents indicate. Streeb fired a shot at some point during the struggle, but he told police he wasn't trying to harm anyone, rather he was trying to kill himself, according to the documents.

Streeb also told police he broke into the home because he wanted to steal items his ex-fiancée had left there, court documents state.

But Assistant Adams County District Attorney Brian Sinnett, who prosecuted the case against Streeb, told the court that prosecutors believe he had another motive in the break-in.

"The commonwealth's allegation is there was an assault planned," Sinnett said.

Meanwhile, Streeb's attorney, Adams County Public Defender Kristin Rice, told the court that her client told police the whole incident was meant as a "suicide by cop" attempt.

Outside the courtroom, Sinnett said Streeb's intent in entering the residence isn't clear, but the fact he brought a gun along, and was carrying additional ammunition with him, lends itself to the theory assault was his motive. Sinnett declined to go into detail about who prosecutors believe Streeb had planned to assault.

One of the burglary charges to which Streeb pleaded stems from the McSherrystown incident. The other two stem from burglaries within the trailer park where Streeb lived. Streeb stole three bottles of prescription medications from one trailer on Sept. 18, and from another trailer on Oct. 31, he stole the .22 he had with him in McSherrsytown.

Sinnett told the court that the victims of the burglaries learned only on Monday that Streeb would plead guilty, and initially, they had not submitted requests for restitution for any items that were stolen from them.

Streeb also could be ordered to pay restitution as part of his sentence.